Four Times Cole Helped the Guys with a Nightmare
by DietCokeIsLife
Summary: And, the one time they helped him. Set after Hands of Time. Fluff inside!
1. Kai

Ch. 1: Kai

* * *

Kai lurched into a sitting position, heaving, trying desperately to force air back into his lungs.

 _Just a dream,_ he reminded himself, running his hands over his face and through his (despite what the others claimed) naturally spiky hair. This was real, this was physical, this was _real_ and that dream _wasn't_ … now, if only his addled brain and racing heart could get with the program.

Grimacing, he yanked at the collar of his sweat-soaked shirt, though he noticed his hands shook. No way he could go back to sleep now, jittery as he was. But, if the darkness broken only by the faint moonlight filtering into the bedroom shared by the five male ninja was any indication, there were several hours left before they would have to wake up for training.

Kai let himself fall back onto his pillow with a thump, sighing. So… waiting. Not really his strong suit.

Not only that, but the blackness pressing onto him from every side only brought back vivid images of _that dream_ and… no, he certainly wasn't _scared_ \- how juvenile would that be? Nya could be scared, since she was his little sister, and Lloyd could be scared, since he was a little kid in a teenage body, and well, any of the other guys could be scared, because Kai liked protecting people, but Kai, the great Master of Fire and self-proclaimed invincible fighting machine, _afraid_? Ha! As if.

He nearly jumped out of skin when he heard the floorboards creak, because he was… cold. Yeah, that was it.

And, now he needed someone to talk to because he was… lonely- no, bored. Yes, bored. Perfect.

He listened and counted four people breathing heavily. This was good, since that meant nobody had heard him wake up from his nightmare- _dream_ , he corrected himself. But, that was also bad, since now he would have to wake one of them and up explain _why_ he was waking them up at- he squinted at the alarm clock- 3:34 AM.

But, perhaps the bigger problem was _who_. Nya was out of the question. Kai couldn't look weak in front of his little sister. Jay? Nah. The lightning ninja had been known to be petty, and Kai wasn't sure he could trust Jay not to lord this over him in the future and/or bring it up in front of the other guys. Zane seemed like the obvious choice, but then again, the nindroid struggled with illogical emotions and probably couldn't help Kai anyway. Lloyd? Not a chance! Kai was supposed to protect the Green Ninja, not the other way around! So, that left…

 _Cole_.

The snoring Master of Earth was the perfect choice- understanding but not too sappy so as to make Kai feel childish, strong, a good listener…

Before he could psych himself out, Kai leapt from the top bunk of his and Zane's shared bunk bed with all the grace of a cat (or Spinjitzu master) and tiptoed over to Cole's bunk, which was thankfully on the bottom. Holding his breath, he listened for any indication that he'd woken somebody with his daring dash across the room, but all he could hear was uninterrupted, rhythmic breathing.

Smirking to himself and filled with confidence he was intimately familiar with, he shook Cole's shoulder.

And immediately regretted it when Cole snorted and started awake.

Why did he think this was a good idea?! _Stupid, stupid Kai. He's going to think you are such a baby that can't even sleep through the night without someone holding his stupid hand. Not that you're scared or anything- because how lame would that be?- but it was a dumb idea to wake up someone with your own problems..._

And, just as he was positive he wanted to take it back, fly into bed, and stare at the ceiling until the sun rose, Cole turned over and cracked open his eyes halfway.

"Kai?" He mumbled groggily, propping himself up on his elbow and rubbing his eye with the other hand. "What's wrong?"

No turning back now. So, full steam ahead.

Scoffing, he smirked, "Wrong? What makes you think something's wrong?"

Cole blinked at him with drooping eyelids, as if trying to decide if this was a dream or real life. "Because, you woke me up at-" glance at the alarm clock- "3:39 AM?"

"Riiiight…," Inside, Kai was screaming at himself with a voice that sounded suspiciously like Nya's. _What now, smart guy? Why didn't you plan out what you were going to say?! You always rush into things without thinking! If you weren't so impatient…_ , But, on the outside, he only wiggled his eyebrows invitingly. "I wanted to extend to you the honor of a once in a lifetime opportunity to battle me, Kai, Sitar Hero legend, one on one for the high score spot."

That _was the best you could come up with?_

Shaking his head to get his sister out of it, he smiled sheepishly, waiting for Cole's response.

The earth ninja only stared at him, and then decided that this must _definitely_ be a dream.

"No thanks," he grumbled, lowering himself back onto the pillow and shutting his eyes with conviction. "Goodnight, Kai."

"We could spar instead! I've been working on a new move-"

" _Goodnight, Kai_ ," Cole hissed, pressing his eyelids together more forcefully.

"If you cook, I promise I'll eat whatever you make!"

Cole sat up with wide eyes, and Kai almost regretted impulsively making such a vow. It was the equivalent of a death wish, and the fire ninja's stomach twisted with the thought of coming within ten feet of whatever came out of the kitchen when Cole had anything to do with it. But, desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Really? Okay, then I'll cook for you-"

 _Success_.

"- in the morning," Cole finished, rolling onto his side to face the wall instead of Kai.

 _No!_

"Cole," but he didn't have any other ideas, he didn't know what else to say, all he knew is that he couldn't go back to lying in that bed alone in the dark where _that dream_ could get him and… and… "Cole, please, I'm… I'm…,"

 _I'm scared._

Even now he couldn't admit it, and that somehow made him more pathetic. His whole body trembled as he glared a hole into the floorboards, feeling babyish and stupid and-

"Kai," his head shot up when he felt a hand on his shoulder to see Cole suddenly standing beside him, the stifled yawn the only indication that he hadn't been awake and alert the entire night. "Why didn't you just _say_ so?"

That was the thing. He _didn't_ say it. But, Cole knew.

Kai swallowed and opened his mouth to respond… but Cole was already walking away, toward the bedroom door.

"Where…?" The fire ninja whispered, utterly confused.

Cole opened the door and turned back to Kai with an expectant eyebrow raised. "What are you waiting for? I was promised a one on one match with a Sitar Hero legend."

Kai hesitated a moment longer, his sleep-deprived brain taking extra time to connect the dots until- _oh_! Smirking, he jogged over to Cole in the doorway. "That's _the_ Sitar Hero legend to you."

"Well, you're going to be _the_ _former_ Sitar Hero legend when I'm finished with you." The earth ninja retorted, shutting the door gently behind them.

"Ha! You are _so_ on."

* * *

"Cole, you're hitting a stack of crates."

"I am? Oh. Well, at least I didn't somehow use my finishing move on myself."

"That was _one time_ \- oh, wait, I just did it again."

"You stink at this game."

"You stink more. I have a higher score than you."

"We're in the negatives."

"...oh."

5:07 AM found both exhausted ninja slumped against each other on the couch in the game room, aimlessly mashing buttons on their respective controllers after having switched from Sitar Hero to some new fighting game. Needless to say, they were both failing horribly.

"Hey, uh, Cole?"

"I'm _still_ hitting the crates? I thought-"

"No, no, you killed me that time- or, I killed myself again, I'm not really sure- but I was going to say, um… you know. Thanks." Kai mumbled, turning his head away to hide his embarrassment (he'd already resigned himself to losing the game.)

Cole only shrugged, as if playing video games at 5 AM was the most natural thing in the world. "What are brothers for?" He remarked without looking away from the screen. He was apparently dead set on winning the game, though he'd gone back to demolishing another innocent stack of crates.

Kai watched in silence as the boxes begged for mercy- or he was just _really_ tired- until Cole said something that put any nightmare his brain could ever conjure up to shame.

"Don't think I forgot about your promise to eat my cooking."


	2. Lloyd

**Thank you so much to everyone who has read this so far! Your support means a lot!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **TheYellowNinja: Thank you so so so much for reading and reviewing! Your review was so nice, and it made me a _little_ less nervous about posting more on here! And, yes, Cole is the best! We will be his biggest fans together :)**

 **Guest: I really appreciate the kind words and support, so thank you so much! To answer your question, I ship Jaya (Nya and Jay) and Pixane (P.I.X.A.L. and Zane). I don't normally ship yaoi, but if I had to pick my favorite pairings, it would be Lava (Kai and Cole) and Bruise (Jay and Cole). While this story wasn't intended to be yaoi and there is no explicit romance, feel free to interpret it however you like! (I guess it would be everyone in love with Cole XD) I have nothing against yaoi, and, who knows, I may even end up writing it someday.  
**

* * *

Ch. 2: Lloyd

* * *

Lloyd clutched the lightbulb in a white-knuckled fist, staring at its barely illuminated core intently. He was sitting at the table in the kitchen that itself was lit with the usual fluorescent bulbs. The light was sterile, but wholly welcome compared to the darkness peering back at him from the kitchen window and waiting for him back in his and the other guys' bedroom. Meanwhile, the light inside the lightbulb that owed its life to Lloyd's own elemental power reminded him of a firefly, small and weak but alive and harmless.

Of course, he'd moved leaps and bounds past this training exercise, but in a way that made it harder to contain his energy in the small glass prison. Also, a part of him was comforted by it. It reminded him of his uncle, who was missing and was _missed_ by all of them. And, sure, he was a teenager now, but part of him was still a kid inside. Though he could never admit it, that kid was still a little bit afraid of the dark. Especially when it was compounded with a nightmare.

He shuddered at the memory of his nightmare, and the light flared inside the lightbulb. He only just managed to calm his heartbeat before it burst. It returned to its small, spark state, and Lloyd sighed. The lightbulb only reminded him of a simpler time. He was still the Green Ninja, but he didn't have the weight of the world on him, he still had a few years left of his childhood, he could go to the guys about a nightmare without undermining-

"What are you doing?"

Lloyd yelped, and, inevitably, the lightbulb shattered in his hand. His head shot up to see Cole standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised in surprise at the little power display. Lloyd couldn't decide whether he should glare or smile sheepishly, so he simply dropped his gaze to the ground and began picking up the broken glass.

"What are _you_ doing?" He shot back with all the eloquence of a five year old.

"Midnight snack," Cole replied simply. He shrugged nonchalantly and gave the radius of glass a wide berth, but Lloyd could feel the curious gaze boring into him. Lloyd's face started to warm up, and he searched for the next piece of glass rather than meet that gaze. _Some Green Ninja. Can't even keep the lightbulb from blowing up...,_ "I'm starving."

The refrigerator opened and closed, and Lloyd almost groaned out loud when the earth ninja pulled out the chair beside him at the table, setting down an obscenely large piece of cake in front of him. Confident he had found all the pieces of the lightbulb, Lloyd sat back up, ready to make up some excuse for Cole.

"So, I'll ask again," the black ninja led in, stuffing a forkful of cake into his mouth. "What are you-" he gasped, pointing at Lloyd's hand with his fork. "You're bleeding!"

The Green Ninja glanced down at his hand to see a line of deep scarlet stretching across his palm and grimaced. Now that he noticed it, it did smart a little, but then again, they'd had much worse.

"It's fine. I'll-"

Lloyd stopped himself when Cole wordlessly stood once again, ran a cloth under some water and returned, grabbing his brother's wrist forcefully but not ungently.

"Cole," Lloyd blew air out of his cheeks in a frustrated huff, hissing a little when the earth ninja dabbed at the wound. Here he was, being treated like a kid again, no matter what he did. He was the Green Ninja, but if the guys couldn't see anything but a child, how could they respect him enough to lead them? Then again, hadn't he just been longing for the days before the Green Ninja mantle carried so much weight? "I think I can handle it."

"I know," Cole studied the now clean scratch, standing again to look through their well-stocked medicine cabinet. "But, that doesn't mean you should have to."

Lloyd blinked. _That doesn't mean you should have to_.

The black ninja sat again, expertly wrapping the Green Ninja's hand in gauze. "No stitches, though, so that's good." Nodding with satisfaction, Cole turned back to his cake.

Lloyd stared at his now heavy hand as if it was some brand new invention. _That doesn't mean you should have to_. It was an acknowledgement, but also an invitation.

"So, I'll ask for a third time. What are you doing out here?" Cole asked, raising an eyebrow at Lloyd.

"I, uh…," the Green Ninja tried to clear his addled mind. What could he say? A lie that Cole might see through? The _truth_? _That doesn't mean you should have to_. "I was having trouble sleeping, because I, uh, had… a bad dream."

There. There it was, out in the open. How could he expect the guys not to baby him when he said stuff like "bad dream?" At least nightmare sounded cooler. He was about to stammer out an excuse to return to the terrifying darkness where at least no one would be able to see his blush… when Cole _nodded_. Didn't make fun of him, didn't rush to comfort him, just leveled a solemn stare at him and nodded. "Okay. So, what do you want to do?"

Lloyd found himself caught off guard for the nth time that night. "Um… 'do?'"

"Sure," Cole vacuumed up another bite of cake. "Don't tell him I told you this, but I stayed up with Kai the other night when he was scared, and we played video games. And, Jay wouldn't admit this even if you held him at gunpoint, but he likes to sleep in my bed after he has a bad dream. So, what do you want to do?"

But, Lloyd couldn't answer for the wave of new information he just received. The fearless ninja, his _heroes_ … got scared too? Jay had to share a bed? _Kai_ needed Cole to keep him company? So, it wasn't just some phobia leftover from his childhood, another difference between him and his brothers, but rather… a similarity?

Cole gasped again, dropping his fork with a clang. Lloyd was pretty sure that if he had been holding another lightbulb, that one would have shattered too. But, he couldn't be angry, because if Cole dropped his _fork_ , the vehicle that transferred food to his mouth, it had to be big.

"I got it!" He turned to smile at the Green Ninja. "Bedtime story."

Lloyd blushed once again, remembering his first night on the Destiny's Bounty, when he was still "nuisance" instead of "prophesied hero." "I think I'm a little old for _Jack the Rabbit_."

"Pfft," Cole scoffed, taking up his fork once again. "'Course you are. This bedtime story is going to be way awesomer, because it's written by yours truly."

"Cole-"

"Once upon a time," the black ninja began, and Lloyd rolled his eyes. But, he supposed a bedtime story wouldn't be… _so_ bad…, "There was this ninja. His name was… Cool. Cool the Ninja."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Cool?"

"And, his sidekick's name was… Llame. Two Ls."

Lloyd sighed with exasperation though the smile on his face was undeniable as he crossed his arms on the table in front of him and rested his head on them like a pillow. "What a coincidence. Two Ls, just like my name."

"Excuse me, are _you_ the storyteller here?" Cole cleared his throat. "Anyway, they also had a team of ninjas. Kai-nd of okay, Ny-eeds a little work, and Zane…-y."

"You missed one."

"Nope, that's all of them. Anyway, their lives were going great until suddenly they got a call from their manager, Dork-eth, telling them that- wait for it- _alien spiders_ had invaded Ninja...went City! Like the dashing heroes they are, they sprang into action…,"

And, Lloyd… _listened_ as Cole recounted the escapades of Cool and Llame. It was actually pretty entertaining, and Cole was a good storyteller. The poorly disguised cameos of people they knew, including Master Whoops and Cyrus Boring (and Jayn, the tragically mute parrot), only added to the mystique of the parallel fantasy world. Before he knew it, his eyelids were drifting closed, the space his brain reserved for nightmares overflowing with images of ninja and silly alien spiders and a parrot pecking Cool's head to get his attention…

When Lloyd opened his eyes, he was suddenly _flying_ , and for a split second he thought he'd been transported to the world of Cool and Llame (weirder things had happened)... until he recognized the warm surface beneath his cheek as Cole's rock hard chest. He supposed he should feel embarrassed that Cole was carrying him back to bed like a child that had stayed up too late, but feeling the arms like steel pipes, holding him up as easily as if he was a feather, and listening to the heartbeat that was as steady as a metronome, Lloyd couldn't protest- didn't _want_ to protest. In fact, he was positive that he was in the safest place he could possibly be. That, and he wasn't sure he even had enough energy to make it back to the room on his own if he tried.

Once inside the bedroom, the other three guys were still slumbering soundly, and Lloyd was grateful they weren't awake to see this. Cole set the Green Ninja down in his bed as if he were made of porcelain and tucked the blankets around him with a thoroughness any mother would envy.

The black ninja turned to leave, and Lloyd felt a lightbulb-shattering surge of panic at being left alone in the dark, even though he was already about eighty percent asleep. Lunging half off the bed, he snared Cole's wrist in an unbreakable grip.

Lloyd felt his mattress sag as the Master of Earth sat on the edge of it but for the life of him couldn't stop his eyes from falling shut again as he settled back against his pillow. "You want another one?" Cole whispered. He ran gentle fingers through Lloyd's bangs, combing them away from his face.

Lloyd leaned into the touch, feeling protected, not coddled. "No, just… Did we win?" The words came out slurred and half garbled, but Cole understood well enough.

"Yeah, buddy. We always do. Because we have you. And, you have us."

Lloyd's sleep was uninterrupted by bad dreams for the rest of the night. He woke up feeling giddy because Cool and Llame had just defeated the alien spiders with a pretty spectacular explosion.

And, when Cole called Jay "bird brain" the next day, Lloyd couldn't stop laughing for a solid five minutes with Cole following shortly after, leaving Zane and Kai confused and Jay supremely frustrated that he was left out of the joke.


	3. Jay

**Huge thanks to everyone that has read, reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted this story! It means the world to me!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: I'm so glad to hear it made you laugh! I really challenged myself to try to mix all the hurt and comfort with a good dose of humor, like the tone of the show, and it's a great relief to know I succeeded!**

 **TheYellowNinja: Thank you so much for continuing to read and for loving it as much as I do! Squealing is very good :D For this chapter, I leaned a bit more into the fluff, so please let me know if you think I took it too far! And, the lack of pressure is appreciated, haha :)**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Thank you! I really tried my best to keep all of them in character as best as I could. As I stated above, this chapter is more fluffier than the previous two, so PLEASE tell me if you think it crosses over into "cloylngly sweet!" I love tough guy Lloyd :D**

* * *

Ch. 3: Jay

* * *

Jay slid down the bunk bed's ladder without touching a single rung, surprised he managed not to kill himself in his half-asleep state. The nightmare was fresh in Jay's mind, and it was all he could do to keep himself from diving into Cole's bed. But, no, the black ninja had comforted him too many times, and Jay knew that at some point he had to grow up. He was determined to get through this night, all five hours that were left of it, with his pride intact, which meant no hugs and no tears.

Easier said than done when his heart thought he was running a marathon and he was shaking all over and he felt tears pushing at the backs of his eyeballs- but he blinked them away. With one last longing look at the mop of black hair peeking out from the blanket, Jay marched out of the bedroom to find something to distract him from the horrific details of his dream.

Outside the temple, they had constructed a makeshift workshop, which was really just an awning that hung over their vehicles that were in varying states of disrepair and other odds and ends they tinkered with whenever they had time. Finding the perfect solution to his nightmare problem, Jay settled on the creeper and rolled himself and his toolbox under the Sonic Raider Jet. Time to make some upgrades.

And, it worked. For five minutes.

Because, it was _freezing_ outside; floating islands tended to be windy. Without the sun, Jay was all but turned into an ice cube where he lay exposed under the machine. But, he couldn't tell if the goosebumps were from the cold or something else, his sixth sense trying to tell him danger lurked nearby. Jay was doing what he loved, but he still didn't feel _safe_ because really why did he think coming _outside, alone, at night_ would protect him from-

There. A noise. An intruder. A monster.

Jay was ashamed to say he froze. Just… froze. Because he was flat on his back and cold and scared and _alone_ and, sure, he was a super awesome ninja but he couldn't _think_ , couldn't _breathe_ , couldn't _breathe…_

He almost screamed when he saw movement, and lightning instinctually crackled in his palm, ready to strike-

Until he recognized the pair of socks and edge of a blanket trailing on the ground that he could see from his vantage point under the jet.

"You going to tell me what it was about?"

Cole. Of course Cole would find him; Cole always found him. Jay was starting to suspect the earth ninja was psychic or something, but no one else believed him.

And, though he almost sobbed with relief when he discovered it was his brother instead of a monster here with him, he groaned in exasperation instead. No, sirree, he wasn't handing over his dignity that easily.

"What what was about?"

"C'mon, Jay, don't play dumb," Cole reprimanded, and Jay saw the blanket ripple as the black ninja adjusted his grip on it. "You know you always feel better after you talk about it. Let's go inside-"

"Go in without me," Jay said, his tone clipped. He appreciated Cole's concern, he really did, but he knew there was no chance of him finally getting over a nightmare on his own if he gave in to that concern now. "I need to finish these repairs."

"At two AM?"

"...yes."

Jay heard a sigh and thought that it was a sign of resignation, and Cole would leave him alone in the cold, dark night again.

He should have known the black ninja wouldn't give up so easily.

He squeaked when he felt two hands grab his ankles and yank him out from under the jet- and suddenly he was staring up at Cole who was holding him upside down and trying not to laugh at Jay's startled expression.

"Do I have your attention now?"

Jay narrowed his eyes, feeling the blood start to rush to his head. "We all know you have super strength. You don't have to show off."

"I'm not showing off. I'm trying to get you to talk to me." He blinked. "Wow, I never thought I'd hear myself say that."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you, and I don't need to talk to you," Jay snapped, then mentally cringed at how unintentionally harsh his voice sounded.

Cole recoiled, taken aback and perhaps a little hurt, before wordlessly lowering Jay to the floor.

The blue ninja scrambled to his feet, "Cole, I didn't-"

"Then, we don't have to talk," Cole interrupted, picking up the blanket he had dropped and wrapping it around himself to keep the chill out. "Show me what you're working on."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "You mean, the jet? Like, mechanics?"

"Yeah."

Jay snorted. "I think that's a little above your pay grade, Mister Failed Fourth Grade Science."

Cole rolled his eyes. "Sorry my dad was more concerned with finding me a dance coach than a science tutor. But, I'm a fast learner. I'll keep up."

Jay scrutinized the earth ninja who met his gaze head on. The earth ninja who had shown no previous interest in science or mechanics and usually told Jay to shut up when he started blathering on about those topics. "I know what you're doing, you know."

"What am I doing?" Cole asked innocently.

"You're trying to get me to talk about normal stuff, hoping that I'll break down and tell you about my nightmare. Well, it's not going to work. I'm a man now, and I don't need someone to rock me back to sleep anymore."

Cole shrugged. "I only asked you to show me the jet."

"Look who's playing dumb now?" Jay smirked, poking Cole in the chest. "Fine, I can play that game too. I'll teach you. But, the jet's too advanced. We'll start with something simpler."

He walked over to the workbench, confident in his ability to outlast Cole's attention span. The black ninja would get so bored or cold that he'd go inside before Jay would give in and talk to him about his nightmare. Yep, you had to get up _pretty_ early in the morning to pull one over on Jay Walker, that's for sure, and he would prove it to Cole right now.

"You're the boss," is all the black ninja said, joining Jay by the bench.

"Stop that!"

"I'm not doing anything!"

Huffing in frustration, Jay successfully found what he was looking for: a breadboard.

"You want to know about science, we'll start with circuits." He announced, handing Cole the breadboard. Trying to suppress a shiver and only half-succeeding, he sat down on the bench. Cole eagerly lowered himself to the floor at Jay's feet, crossing his legs and staring at the… thing Jay had given him. "That's a breadboard. It's where you make your circuit."

Cole raised his hand. "Mr. Jay?"

Jay sighed, astounded that Cole could actually keep a straight face. They were playing hardball then. Alright. Jay could play hardball. "Yes, lowly pupil?"

"Why is it called a breadboard? I see no bread."

"It's…," Jay blinked. "It doesn't matter. That's just what it's called."

"So, you don't know."

"Moving on," Jay continued, gritting his teeth and catching Cole's hint of a smirk. He shivered again and also noticed Cole's smirk turn into a frown. And, then he remembered why they were out here and not in bed where they should be. And, the nightmare came rushing back to him in scary clarity and he felt his breathing pick up and palms get clammy and-

"Jay?"

He shook his head. Nope. He wasn't going to do it. He wasn't going to break down. Maybe later when he was alone, but not in front of Cole. "That's _Mister_ Jay to you. Actually, make that _Doctor_ Jay."

"Ha!" Cole scoffed, shaking his head. "Show me the degree and then we'll talk."

"Anyway, you can wire your circuits in series or parallel." He said, digging through the nearest drawer for some wires and LEDs that could be used for a simple model. "Now, what that means is…," his vision was suddenly blurry, and his heart was beating so fast it was making it hard to breathe. No, no, why couldn't he just _keep it together_ a little longer? "Is…," he tried to keep going, but he couldn't see anything now, and he was pretty sure his voice broke on that last "is."

Jay suddenly felt a weight settle on his shoulders, and he looked up, startled.

Cole was crouched in front of him, his own blanket now around Jay's shoulders, and he stared at his hands grasping the edges of the blanket where they met in the front.

 _To spare me the embarrassment_ , Jay realized, tears collecting on his lower eyelids. _By not looking at me, he's still giving me an out_.

"It's not bad to need someone," Cole said very softly.

And, _that's_ when Jay burst into tears.

He all but tackled Cole, locking his arms around the earth ninja's torso like tentacles, and started bawling into his shirt, clenching the fabric in a death like grip as if it was the only thing tethering him to reality. He was aware that Cole was saying something to him, but all his brain could actually register was the feeling of safety that filled him when his brother's arms locked around his body, pulling him close. The voice was only a hum, a murmur of comfort that slowly resolved itself into words.

"It's okay, Jay. You're alright now. You're okay…,"

It was a long time before Jay was finally able to believe him.

When he was able to reduce his sobs to hiccups and sniffles though, he only felt embarrassed. His whole face was on fire, and he was grateful that he was still smushed against Cole's shoulder where the black ninja couldn't see his blush- though, with its intensity, he probably felt it through his shirt. Also, he didn't want to separate from the embrace _quite_ yet.

"You probably think I'm such a baby…," he muttered against Cole's chest.

"You're right. You are a baby."

Jay blinked. "Okay, not really the reassurance I was looking for…,"

"You're a baby, because you wanted to play this stupid game of 'Teacher' instead of just admitting you needed help."

Jay mulled over that in his head. He supposed that, in his attempt to downplay his fear and act more mature, he ended up not only turning it into a bigger problem than it already was but also acting cold toward someone who only wanted to help. It didn't make him a man. It just made him a jerk.

On the outside, though, he mock-gasped. "So you're telling me you _didn't_ want to learn about circuits?"

Cole snorted. "I'm still confused by the conspicuous lack of bread."

That elicited a watery laugh from the blue ninja. "Is food all you ever think about?"

"Like ninety eight percent of the time." Cole nodded, and his chin bumped the top of Jay's head. "The other two percent is sleep. You ready to go back?"

Jay sighed, finally pulling away from Cole. "Yeah, I'm ready."

The two brothers walked side by side in comfortable silence back toward the bedroom. Once there, Cole yanked his blanket off Jay's shoulders and dove back into bed.

Jay looked at his bed.

Then at Cole.

Then at his very high, very cold, very exposed, very lonely bed.

"So, that thing you said about admitting when I need help…?"

Cole playfully rolled his eyes, already scooting to the far edge of his bed. "Just don't hog all the blankets this time."

Jay grinned, gratefully sinking onto the mattress and revelling in the warmth Cole's body provided for his chilled skin. The safe feeling returned and only then was Jay positive he could make it through the rest of the night.

His eyes fell shut almost of their own accord, lulled to sleep by Cole's steady breathing and the knowledge that his brother was just _there_. "Thanks, Dirt Clod."

"Any time, Zaptrap."


	4. Zane

**Once again, thank you so much to everyone reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting this story! I never expected to receive so much positive feedback, so it's an incredible feeling!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: Yes, brotherly fluff bonding is the best :D I love Kai and Nya's relationship as well, but unfortunately Nya is not really in this story. Don't get me wrong: I love Nya and will definitely feature her and Kai in future stories, so stay tuned! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Great, I'm glad you thought it was a good amount of fluff! Hopefully you feel the same about this one :D Yes, Jay is sooo insecure. Cole knows that about him and is willing to put up with all the rigmarole to help him because he _is_ the best big brother. Honestly, I left the nightmares ambiguous so that they could be about whatever you wanted them to be (though I imagine Jay would have plenty of nightmares about Skybound). That being said, we do see a little of Zane's nightmare in this chapter, because it is important to the plot ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

 **TheYellowNinla: Yay! Fluff is a delicate balance, so I'm glad I achieved it! Thank you _so_ much for calling this story high quality! I was super nervous about posting on here at all, so hearing that is a huge relief and great honor! I hope you enjoy the next two chapters just as much! Thanks again!**

 **Indo: First of all, thank you for taking the time to review both chapters 2 and 3 :D I definitely believe Lloyd always feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, which is especially hard for someone who was literally forced to grow up so fast, so I wanted to explore that here. Thank you for calling it quality! It's always nice to receive compliments on both the fluff and the writing style so thank you! As for you second review, it's not embarrassing at all! The goal of writers is to move people, so the fact that you verbally responded _and_ resonated with the chapter on such a personal level is simply incredible for me. I love the strong brotherly bond between the brothers too, and I hope you like the next two chapters just as much! Thank you for reviewing!**

* * *

Ch. 4: Zane

* * *

By the time Zane's optical sensors came online, he was at Cole's bunk, reaching blindly for his brother. Considering his optical sensors activated exactly .15 seconds after waking up, this was an impressive distance indeed.

When he could finally see, he was met with the sight of Cole's brow furrowed with irritation as Zane poked his head, cheek, shoulder, chest. The black ninja put forth a valiant effort in trying to stay asleep, first twisting away from the nindroid's touch, then batting weakly at the offending appendages.

"Quit it…," Cole mumbled, slapping Zane's wrist with all the strength of a newborn kitten. But, the ice ninja continued his precursory investigation regardless, noting the lack of immediately obvious injury.

Behind him, he heard Lloyd roll over. Hm, no need to disrupt the others' slumber with his examination. He needed more light anyway. Without preamble, he scooped Cole up in his arms, blanket and all, and started carrying him out of the room. The black ninja, who was still mostly asleep, couldn't protest but on instinct reached longingly for the pillow Zane had cruelly left behind.

Zane felt marginally better being so close to his brother, but he could not shake the image from his mind. _Cole, stumbling, slumping over, alone, clothes absolutely soaked in blood, crying out for help that would never come…_

He clutched his charge so tightly, Cole whimpered in his sleep.

Carefully propping up the black ninja with several throw pillows so as to be in something akin to a sitting position on the couch, Zane rushed into the kitchen to fetch the first aid kit, reluctant to leave Cole alone for even a moment. When he returned, Cole was curled into a little ball on his side and all but buried in his blanket, softly snoring.

The image of his dying brother, drowning in his own blood, clutching uselessly at wounds that would never close, superimposed itself over the sight he saw in front of him. Anxiety levels skyrocketing, Zane teleported to his side and grabbed either side of Cole's head.

"Cole!" He called, tapping the earth ninja's cheek with more force than was probably necessary. "Can you recite the alphabet backwards?"

"Z, Y, X, leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep," came Cole's barely comprehensible response.

Positive this was a sign of dire injury rather than sleepiness, Zane threw off the black blanket and grabbed the hem of Cole's pajama shirt, raising it-

"Ah! Your hands are freezing!" Cole exclaimed, jumping into a half sitting position. He met Zane's eyes for the first time all night, and although the glare was half anger and half confusion, Zane only sighed with relief at seeing his brother awake and lucid. " _Why_ are you undressing me in the middle of the night?"

"I was checking you over for grievous wounds," the white ninja explained hurriedly, reaching for Cole's shirt once again. "Now, if you'll let me finish…,"

Cole snatched Zane's wrist and guided the hand to his heart rather than his waist. "There. See?" The beat beneath Zane's palm was strong and healthy and _alive…_ "I'm fine. Totally, one hundred percent fine. We good?"

Zane hugged him then, his whole body trembling as he crushed Cole to his chest.

"So, we need to talk," Cole concluded quietly, rubbing Zane's back soothingly until the nindroid was ready to let him go.

* * *

Zane handed Cole the green mug (Cole's was dirty, and Zane figured Lloyd wouldn't mind) of hot chocolate with a generous amount of marshmallows like he preferred. Normally the one doing the comforting would also be the one making the hot chocolate, but Cole was forbidden from making it after he somehow managed to use expired milk on what Jay had eloquently dubbed "The Night of Endless Barfing," so the task fell to Zane. The black ninja immediately drained half of the mug, using the scalding touch of the liquid to wake up and the caffeine to stay awake. Zane sank into the cushion on the opposite side of the couch, holding his warm white mug between both hands but not drinking it.

"Okay," Cole said, licking the excess chocolate from his top lip. "I'm ready. So, what made you think I was spontaneously- what was it you said?- suffering from grievous wounds?"

"I had… a horrific dream- a nightmare," Zane clarified, staring down at the brown liquid quivering in his grasp. "In it, you were dead- dying. Gravely injured with no one around to help you…,"

Zane trailed off, and Cole nodded sympathetically, "I appreciate the concern, Zane, but you know that… dreams aren't real, right? Do you understand that?"

The tone was not condescending, and the question was admittedly warranted. Zane had been confused by human customs in the past, and being a nindroid that, for all means and purposes, should be incapable of dreaming, it would make sense that he might get mixed up.

But, Zane shook his head, "When I dreamt about the Green Ninja, he possessed traits of all of us, which Lloyd does, and we discovered his destiny shortly thereafter. I dreamt about my elemental dragon several times before I summoned it."

Cole pressed his mouth into a line, "Okay, bad examples. But, you've had dreams that _didn't_ turn out to be real, right?"

"Of course. But, none of those were as vivid as the Green Ninja or my elemental dragon or… the one I had tonight," Zane sipped his hot chocolate to hide his shudder, but he thought Cole noticed anyway.

Cole pondered this for a moment, draining the rest of his mug thoughtfully. "Alright, think about it this way: dreams, even literal dreams, are usually trying to tell you something else. Take your dream about the Green Ninja; he had characteristics of all of us, right? That means he couldn't be _any_ of us. So, your brain was trying to tell you that us fighting over who it would be was stupid and pointless. Or, something," he finished uncertainly, shrugging and peering into his mug as if that would make more hot chocolate appear.

Zane's eyes widened, and he gasped. "And, my elemental dragon was symbolic of my need to accept my new identity as the titanium ninja! Cole, you are technically not a genius, but you are much more intelligent than everyone gives you credit for!"

Cole paused, wondering if that meant everyone thought he was stupid. "Um, thanks. So, let's dissect this one you had about me. It's obviously not literal, since I'm not dying, so what could it mean?"

Zane closed his eyes, reluctantly revisiting the image of a weak and bloodied Cole in his mind. "Perhaps it was not that you were hurt that is the important part." He opened his eyes, fixing his brother with a steady gaze but really seeing a boy collapse to the ground with a shout that nobody would hear. "Perhaps it is the fact that you were alone."

Cole tapped his chin, reminding Zane of Master Wu when he stroked his beard. "Go on."

"Maybe… Maybe I am afraid that… I will not be there for you when you need me," Zane suggested, bowing his head in shame. "I was not there after we defeated the Overlord, and the team fell apart. I was not there for Master Wu, and now he is lost in time. I was not there for P.I.X.A.L., and now she is indefinitely offline. I was not there for my father when…,"

He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Zane, look at me," Cole demanded, and Zane, always the most obedient ninja, hesitantly raised his head. "None of that stuff was your fault, okay? I know you're a nindroid with this whole 'I was created to protect those who cannot protect themselves' thing, but you're also a _kid._ So stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and, for _once,_ just act your age."

There was a moment of silence.

Then, a smile slowly spread across Zane's face. "I think that is why I dreamt of you, Cole. You always know what to say, and everyone turns to you for help. Perhaps I am most of afraid of what would happen if _you_ were not there."

Cole's eyes softened, and he turned away self-consciously. He cleared his throat and elbowed Zane playfully. "Look, I can't guarantee that nothing bad is going to happen to me or anyone else, but it's not your job to worry about it like this. We all look out for each other. Yeah?"

"Yes." Zane confirmed confidently, nodding.

"Good," Cole said stretching his arms above his head. "Because, I need-"

"Cole?" Zane rushed to interject, and Cole cocked his head to indicate he was listening. "I believe you are correct in everything you said, but... tonight I am still worried about you. I do not think I could go back to sleep, so could I… keep vigil over you? To make sure you are truly safe?"

Even being an oblivious and often socially inept nindroid, Zane knew it was a strange and fairly creepy thing, asking to watch someone sleep, but… he couldn't… had to…

He jumped when the pillow landed in his lap, and again when a head of black hair took up residence upon it.

"Just don't stare," Cole yawned, trying to get comfortable scrunched up on the short couch and twisting his blanket this way and that so it covered every inch of skin. "I won't be able to fall asleep if you stare."

Zane grinned, patting Cole's head like he would a dog, "I wouldn't _dream_ of it."

"Ha. You should tell that one to Jay. He loves puns…," Cole trailed off, already drifting back to sleep.

A few long moments passed, and Zane could sense the black ninja's breathing getting deeper and deeper, the weight on his thigh becoming heavier as Cole gave himself up to the dream world.

And, Zane thought about how easily he could lose any one of his family members, just like they'd lost Wu. So, just in case they were completely wrong about their theory and something terrible _was_ going to befall Cole tonight, he said, "I love you, Brother."

(The one time he'd asked Kai why they did not say it more often to each other when it was very obviously true, the red ninja had blushed and explained that it wasn't "a guy thing." Jay had then loudly remarked that he thought it would be nice if they made a habit out of saying it to one another, since it would help _someone_ feel more appreciated, and the two had proceeded to argue about "gender stereotypes." Zane listened to the argument but ultimately did not receive a ruling on whether or not it was acceptable.)

But, Cole only mumbled, "Yeah, yeah," before snuggling deeper into the blanket. "Love you too."


	5. Cole

**Thank you so much everyone! All of the love I have received on this story has made me so happy! It was more than I ever expected to receive, so thank you!**

 **Replies to guest reviews:**

 **RandomDragon: Flying around on a giant cake sounds like the definition of Cole's best dream ever! XD I'm glad you liked the alphabet joke! A little humor mixed in with all the fluff makes a balanced diet! And, YES YES YES! You nailed it! Obviously, I didn't want to make every chapter exactly the same, so I wanted to personalize the comforting for each ninja. You described it perfectly! I'm glad that came across the way I wanted it to! :D Great idea for a one shot! Maybe I will include a bonus chapter with Kai eating Cole's cooking, because that would be hilarious. Thanks for your support throughout the story!**

 **TheYellowNinja: "Perfectly written" is a huge honor! Interestingly enough, Zane's chapter was probably the hardest for me to write because I was struggling to capture his personality. (The first draft is horrid :P) I hope you like Cole's chapter! Thank you so much for each and every one of your reviews! I love every one!**

 **Nali Nali Nalina: Yes! When I was trying to think about what nightmare Zane could have that would scare him so much, the only thing that came to me was his brothers getting hurt and an inability to protect them! I'm glad you liked the hot chocolate detail! I thought it was cheesy but adorable, so of course I had to put it in there. :D It makes me SO happy you thought Zane was in character! As I stated above, Zane was probably the hardest ninja for me to write, so I'm glad it turned out well! Yes, even a nindroid could recognize their love for each other! I feel like Zane would be the only one that wasn't too embarrassed to actually say "I love you" to one of the other guys. XD I hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much following this story until the end!**

* * *

Kai had a heart attack when he was startled out of his sleep by a blood-curdling scream and nearly tumbled off the top bunk. He heard the sound of running feet, and, believing they were either under attack or being subjected to a very _un_ appreciated, creative training exercise by an overzealous Lloyd, he jumped to the ground.

The Green Ninja was in a fighting stance, but his eyes were half-closed and he was facing the alarm clock with his back to the doorway. So, not a training exercise then.

Jay leaned over the side of his bunk on the other half of the room. "Who screamed?" He asked, hanging both arms over the edge and going limp as if he was too tired to even readjust so as to be lying in a normal position. "And, can it wait until morning?"

"It was Cole," Zane replied, standing up. All eyes were immediately drawn to the bed beneath Jay that was conspicuously empty, the sheet and blanket tangled in a pile on the floor, probably in Cole's haste to escape them. "But, I sense no danger nearby."

"We need to find him," Lloyd decided, though it sounded more like: "We need toofoidjf…," As if finally realizing he was lecturing the alarm clock, he turned to face the middle of the room and repeated with a little more clarity, "We need to find him. Something bad must have happened to him."

The four present ninja (after physically dragging Jay from his bed) filed out of the shared bedroom- and saw the bathroom light on down the hall.

"Found him," Jay announced, leading the procession toward the light source. As they got closer they could hear water running.

When they arrived in the doorway, they saw Cole. He was bent at the waist, leaning over the sink with his elbows on the edge of the basin and splashing his face repeatedly. His eyes were squeezed shut, and they realized with a start that he was hyperventilating- or close to it.

Sharing panicked glance with the others, Lloyd reached out a hand and touched his brother's shoulder. "Cole-"

Cole screamed again and struck Lloyd across the face.

Immediately realizing his mistake, Cole shut the water off and reached trembling hands toward the Green Ninja, who, perhaps only because of that title, was able to keep his feet after a super-strong punch. "Lloyd! Guys! I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, it's okay," Lloyd managed though his voice was strained with pain. The other three watched in open-mouthed shock; they weren't sure Lloyd would have had any teeth left after that hit. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

He nodded at the other three to show that he was really okay, because _obviously they had a bigger problem at hand_ , and then turned back to Cole, who was still openly staring at him with a guilt-ridden gaze. "Really, Cole. I'm fine." He smiled to prove it, but the accompanying wince may have undermined that claim.

The black ninja nodded, dropping his gaze to his hands.

"Cole," Kai stepped forward carefully and deliberately, like he was trying to approach a wild animal that might or might not be feral. "Are you okay?"

Cole nodded again, then looked up with a forced smile of his own. "Yeah. Totally."

"You are lying," Zane countered. The other three mentally rolled their eyes at the nindroid's tendency to state the obvious.

"Was it a nightmare?" Jay asked quietly, scrutinizing Cole's face so he would catch any change, no matter how miniscule.

Cole stared blankly at Jay for a moment before shrugging with that same false, out-of-place smile on his face. As if that was convincing anybody. "I'm fine, guys. Really."

When they made no move to relent, he began backing up into the small space between the wall and the sink, wide enough for exactly one person. When his back hit the wall, he slid to the ground, hugging his knees against his chest and resting his forehead on top of his knees.

"Just going to, you know, chill out for a second." His voice was muffled. They were impressed he managed to pull off an anxiously nonchalant tone, but that was the only way to describe it. "You guys go back to bed without me. I'll be okay."

They all shared another look before sitting down on the tile floor as well in a quarter circle around Cole.

"Yeah, _no_ ," Kai answered, leaning back on his palms. They couldn't see Cole's face at all from where it was tucked into his legs, only the top of his head. "Tell us what's up, man."

"Nothing's up," Cole lied, squeezing his legs tighter to his body, becoming even smaller. He was hard to hear, but the four of them could make out what he was saying with how close they were. "Just, um, cold."

"Cole," Zane addressed softly. "I think you might feel better if you express your fear."

Suddenly, they saw Cole's shoulders shaking. Was he _crying_?

Jay scooted closer, all traces of sleepiness gone from his eyes as they softened with empathy for his brother. "Cole-"

"I used to do this all the time when I was kid, you know," Cole said suddenly, his tone once again coming off too forcibly cheerful when he was obviously speaking through his tears, even if they couldn't see his face. "After my mom died."

The eyes of all four ninja widened simultaneously. If there was one thing they knew about Cole, it was that he _never ever ever_ talked about his mom. If he was doing so now, this nightmare was way worse than they had originally thought it was.

"I would just curl up in a little ball in the corner of the room and when my dad finally asked what I was doing, I would say 'I wish I was a rock,'" Cole laughed, but the sound was strangled and broken and worse than any other sound they could think of. "'Because rocks are so tough that nothing can break them and rocks don't cry and rocks can't miss their moms and…,'" That laugh again. "I was a rock for a week after failing the Triple Tiger Sashay. Guess it worked out with me being the Master of Earth, yeah?"

Cole fell into silence then, though his shaking only worsened. The other four desperately tried to communicate through their eyes to find a solution. They were so eager to help, but after that confession, they found they didn't know what to say.

Then Kai, taking a leap of faith based on his own experiences, asked quietly, "How did your mom make you feel better?"

This time, Cole really did sob. "It was stupid." He shrugged, but the movement was jerky and disjointed. "We'd make a fort. You know, with blankets and pillows and stuff." Another sob. "It was stupid…,"

Lloyd's face brightened. "Okay, Cole, I guess we can't help you," he said with mock-regret, winking at the others. "Just come to bed when you feel ready."

"I'll be okay," Cole confirmed without looking up.

Lloyd ushered the others out of the bathroom and shut the door softly behind them.

He didn't need to explain the plan. They were all thinking the same thing.

"Zane, go get every extra pillow and blanket you can find," Lloyd directed once they were back in the bedroom, and the nindroid obediently rushed out of the room. To Kai and Jay, "You two start working on hanging the blankets up. Try to stretch one from bunk bed to bunk bed if you can." He rolled his sleeves up. "I'll pull off the mattresses."

"Lloyd," Jay said hesitantly as he half climbed up his bunk bed to pull off the blue blanket. "What if he gets _more_ upset when he sees it? Because it reminds him of his mom."

"I thought the same thing after I thought my mom died," Kai answered instead, throwing his pillow and blanket to the floor from across the room. "I didn't want to see anything that reminded me of her- or, that's what I thought I wanted. Then, Nya sang the song she always used to sing to us to help us fall asleep and…," the red ninja cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with sharing something so personal, but continued anyway. "I realized I didn't want to forget her at all. I _wanted_ things to remind me of her."

Jay pondered this a moment, then nodded. "Let's make this a fort Cole's mom would be proud of then."

It took them over ten minutes but finally, they deemed it finished. They _had_ managed to fit a blanket connecting Jay's bunk to Kai's bunk, making a sort of roof to their fort. The other blankets hung down from the top bunks, making Zane's and Cole's bunks like little secret hideaways, and another covered the door to the room like a curtain, giving one the feeling of being completely enclosed within the fort. The floor was covered entirely with their five mattresses and literally every pillow Zane could find, including the couch cushions, the pillows that acted as the seats of the rather hard kitchen chairs, and even the second, unoccupied pillow from Nya's bed (which he surprisingly procured without waking the water ninja).

When they turned the light on, the top blanket muted the light, making the interior dim but still illuminated. They had to admit, it looked pretty cool.

The biggest problem was actually transporting Cole to the bedroom, a task which was delegated to Jay and Zane. Returning to the bathroom revealed Cole still curled up in the same, "rock" position, awake and visibly upset if not actively crying.

No amount of promises of surprises or other coaxing could budge the black ninja, who told them repeatedly that he'd come along soon on his own, which was clearly a lie. His stiff pose made carrying him impossible, so they resorted to pushing/pulling him along the tile floor and down the wood floor of the hallway as if he really was a rock. Cole protested weakly, but made no move to resist.

Back in the bedroom, Zane and Jay pushed Cole up against a pile of pillows before joining Kai and Lloyd in the center of the room.

"Okay, Cole," Lloyd announced, barely containing his excitement to see his brother's reaction. "We're not sure if it's as good as what you and your mom used to do, but I think it'll do."

Cole didn't move at first, but they could tell the curiosity was eating him alive.

Finally, _finally_ , he peeked out from his rock.

His face went lax as he looked all about him, eyes widening when he realized the sheer amount of _effort_ they had put into it. Relaxing the rest of his body, he touched the nearby pillows gently as if he was afraid of breaking them. He looked back at his brothers like he was saying, _"This is for me?"_ They smiled hopefully in response.

He threw his arm over his eyes, but they knew he was crying and he knew they knew he was crying.

"Yeah." His voice cracked. "I think she would've liked it."

Jay, unable to wait any longer, whipped a pillow out from behind his back and threw it so it nailed Kai right in the face. "Pillow fight!"

Cole, hastily wiping his face, took up a pillow and threw it so hard it knocked Jay over. "Bring it on."

It was total warfare. Alliances were made and broken. Traps set and tools sabotaged and treaties betrayed. The carnage was impressive; nothing and no one was safe. At the end of the battle, the bodies lay where they had fallen.

Cole waved Zane's white blanket in surrender, and, still laughing breathlessly, barely managed to say, "Thank you, guys. Really."

"We all look out for each other, do we not?"

"Any time, Dirt Clod."

"You have us, Cole. Always."

"What are brothers for?"

The next morning, despite their pleas of exhaustion, Nya made them clean it up.

She later explained that it was not because they had made an utter mess of their room but because they had not invited her to play.

* * *

 **Thank you again to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story! All of you mean the world to me!**

 **In case you don't know, I've recently begun another story called "Lost Soul." This fic is multi-chapter instead of a oneshot series, but it also focuses on Cole. It answers the question everyone was thinking: what would happen if Cole had touched water when he was a ghost? There's plenty of fluff and angst mixed into a drama and adventure story, so check it out if that sounds like your cup of tea! Thanks, everyone!**


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